PGCPS unveils FY2027 plan with $150M cuts, seeks $50M from county

Interim Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph unveiled a FY2027 operating plan that trims roughly $150 million and asks county leaders for $50 million to stabilize Prince George’s County Public Schools finances, a move that could put low-enrolled specialty programs such as Chinese immersion at risk and has prompted a petition with more than 1,400 signatures. PGCPS calls the proposal a “stabilization budget” and “a year of recalibration,” saying the reductions are the largest single-year adjustment in district history.

The district’s projected unrestricted revenue table in the proposal shows TOTAL UNRESTRICTED REVENUE rising from $2,639 million in FY26 estimated to $2,699 million in FY27 proposed, a $60 million or 2.3 percent increase. PGCPS also flags a major shift in how it uses fund balance, with the FY26 line printed as $95,000,000 and FY27 printed as $25 in the table labeled “in millions” - a formatting anomaly the district should clarify.

PGCPS cites mandatory costs driving the gap: $95 million for negotiated commitments, $15 million for other post-employment benefits, and a $40 million salary lapse reduction, totaling $150 million in mandatory costs. “This is a year of recalibration. We are making $150M in reductions with discipline and intention, focusing on teaching and learning, identifying efciencies, and prioritizing the investments that deliver the greatest impact for students,” PGCPS materials quote Dr. Shawn Joseph.

Despite the cuts, the FY2027 plan directs targeted investments: more than $27 million to Special Education and an additional $1 million to reading and math interventions, and lists 2026 legislative priorities that include supporting students with disabilities, multilingual learners, modernizing construction and facilities, and ensuring safe environments for students and staff. The district’s narrative stresses shifting resources from general operations into student supports that “most directly accelerate achievement.”

To balance the books, PGCPS is pursuing a $37.5 million financial strategy and reserves package that includes $16.9 million in grant optimization by transitioning parent engagement, student support positions and school health centers to Community Schools grants; an extended central office hiring freeze estimated at $8.6 million; elimination of long-term vacancies at $2.6 million; and a $9.4 million reserve reduction. The district also trimmed travel and professional development budgets and cut discretionary spending such as school refreshments and low-enrolled programs.

Program-level consequences are already drawing community pushback. Social reporting cites a Chinese immersion program described as costing $1.9 million and notes a petition opposing cuts with more than 1,400 signatures and a social post showing 3.1K views and 17 comments. Joseph emphasized fiscal tradeoffs, saying, “We’re spending more than we’re bringing in. We have to be responsible and present a balanced budget, making the assumption that no additional dollars are coming, and that’s what we did. We cut first before asking for $100 or $150 million like many do.”

Board activity has accelerated the calendar: the plan was presented to the Board of Education at a Jan. 22 meeting, the board asked the district to prepare an option B, and the district has another budget hearing scheduled as it works to resolve the $150 million realignment. PGCPS officials and county decision-makers now face timetable and verification items including confirming the printed Use of Fund Balance figures, the precise FY27 cost line for the Chinese immersion program, and the formal status of the district’s $50 million county request.